WBA sack chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman

Chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman have been sacked by West Bromwich Albion, the club have announced.

The pair have been given notice of termination of their contracts and been placed on gardening leave with immediate effect, the club announced on Tuesday.

Following his recent appointment as a director of WBA Holdings, the club's controlling company, Mark Jenkins will return as chief executive.

The sackings come with West Brom bottom of the Premier League and seven points from the safety line following Monday's 3-0 defeat at Chelsea, with the club citing poor results as a catalyst for change.

Manager Alan Pardew has won just one of his 13 league games in charge since he replaced Tony Pulis in November.

West Brom have beaten just Bournemouth, Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion this season and went on a 20-game winless run between August and January.

To make matters worse, new signing Daniel Sturridge, on loan from Liverpool, limped off after just three minutes at Stamford Bridge with a hamstring injury.

The club kept Jonny Evans in January despite a late bid from Arsenal that would have risen to £12 million -- well below the midlands club's asking price of more than £20m.

But Evans, the club captain, has a release clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for £3m if West Brom are relegated.

Owner Guochuan Lai bought the club from Jeremy Peace in 2016 and appointed Williams, the former Blackburn chairman, but he has acted with West Brom, who were last relegated in 2009, in danger of the drop.

"There is much to do but for now the focus must solely be on the remaining games of this season," said Jenkins, who was previously chief executive at the club for 14 years.